Dual cultivation makes you stronger, everyone else is a prodigy, and I'm the only one slacking

Elder Chiyang's face froze instantly.

He had assumed that mortals, coveting the immortal mountain and longevity, would shamelessly cling to Shi Shangxu, which was why he set up this moral dead end. Who would have thought that this mortal woman would leave so decisively?

But if she leaves, how will I continue my performance?

Chi Yang's face was ashen: "Qin Ranqiu, do you know what you've given up? A mortal who, by staying in the blessed land of the immortal sect year after year and receiving nourishment from spiritual energy, has been able to maintain his youth and long life."

Now that you insist on leaving, even with the aid of elixirs after descending the mountain, your lifespan will only be a short thirty years or so. Are you truly willing to accept this?

Qin Ranqiu chuckled softly.

She naturally understood what Elder Chiyang was saying. These high and mighty elders simply thought she was playing some kind of trick of feigning retreat to advance.

But they underestimated her.

Without a spiritual aperture, she was utterly incapable of cultivation. During her years under the protection of the forestry department, she was, to put it nicely, a relative, but to put it bluntly, a freeloader, a mere appendage dependent on others. The disciples of the immortal sects all held themselves high and mighty, looking at her like an ant.

Qin Ranqiu is proud to the core.

Even the way her fellow disciples, who were close to her in the forestry department, unconsciously looked at her with the eyes of someone who saw the weak would inadvertently hurt her. But who knew that Qin Ranqiu was originally a powerful princess in the mortal dynasty, wielding immense authority?

Qin Ranqiu chuckled lightly, her laughter carefree: "You are not a fish, how can you know the joy of a fish? The immortality of the immortal path is not my path. Even if I, Qin Ranqiu, go to the mortal world, I can still live a magnificent and extraordinary life."

After he finished speaking, everyone fell silent.

There is a difference between immortals and mortals.

They have been cultivating immortality for too long, always thinking that immortality is the only pursuit in the world, but they have forgotten that even sparrows in the mortal world do not know the ambitions of swans.

Qin Ranqiu: "Sect Master, Elder Lei, if the sect still remembers the merits Lin Ye has made, please grant his widow's last wish. Ranqiu wishes to take his memorial tablet back to the mortal realm, back to my homeland of Qin. The journey to the mortal realm is long and arduous, so please grant the sect's permission to proceed."

The sect leader, Cheng Min, looked at the proud and unyielding woman below the stage, sighed inwardly, and waved his sleeve in approval.

Elder Chiyang gritted his teeth, but could no longer utter a single word.

His carefully laid moral trap was easily dismantled by the arrogance of an ordinary woman.

Those two scoundrels are lucky!

……

Half an hour later, the dust settled.

The sun was shining brightly outside, and clouds drifted across the fairy mountain, creating a dreamlike scene.

After the turmoil in the main hall subsided, two more places were added to Shi Shangxu's list.

Those two were actually from prominent families who paid a high price to buy the affiliation quota from the forestry department.

Although they are not the most talented, they are straightforward and open-minded, which is quite good.

When Shi Shangxu took them in, the two were moved to tears.

But Lin Ye's closest Daoist partner insisted on returning to the mortal world.

For a moment, Shi Shangxu, standing on the viewing platform of Xianshan Mountain, still found it hard to accept.

I always feel that I have let down my senior forestry student who was kind to me.

"Cousin, don't be sad. Everyone's path is different, and everyone's choices are naturally different." Yu Luoning walked to his side and gently comforted him.

The three of them were standing on a cliff platform on the sacred mountain.

The scenery here is extremely romantic. Dongbao Sect is protected by a powerful array, so the mountain is like spring all year round, with birds singing, flowers blooming, and cranes flying in formation.

But this picturesque paradise could not ultimately hold onto a heart that yearned for the ways of the mortal world.

Qin Ranqiu smiled at Shi Shangxu and Yu Luoning as she faced the wind from the immortal mountain.

"Young Master Shi, there's no need to feel indebted or sad. Lin Ye's decision to save you was simply his responsibility as a senior brother in the sect. It's only natural for a senior brother to protect his junior brother; you don't need to blame yourself."

Qin Ranqiu turned to look at the vast sea of ​​smoke and continued, "Actually, I had long expected this day to come. Over the years, every time he returned from a mission, he would have various wounds on his body. But he would never use any of the contribution points he had accumulated through countless near-death experiences, or any rare and precious materials he had found, on me, a mere mortal."

Upon hearing this, Yu Luoning frowned slightly, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes.

Yu Luoning couldn't help but step forward and ask softly, "Sister Qin, I have a question. Senior Brother Lin's affection for you is truly touching. But even without spiritual roots, with Senior Brother Lin's constant nourishment and support using high-grade pills and immortal treasures, your body should be full of energy and you should live a long life. Why do you still look unwell?"

Qin Ranqiu turned her head and said with a faint smile, "Because my life was originally stolen from the heavens."

"Back then, Lin Ye was still undergoing tribulations in the mortal realm when we met. At that time, I was just a pitiful person in the mortal world who was unfortunately poisoned by witchcraft and was about to die. At that time, Lin Ye was just a minor cultivator in the Qi Refining stage. In front of the Heavenly Dao, we were as insignificant as ants."

"But he refused to accept his fate. In order to defy the heavens and spare my life, he ventured alone into the forbidden area and brought back a ten-thousand-year-old ice coffin, sealing me inside. It wasn't until three years ago that he gathered enough precious treasures to prolong my life and finally awakened me."

"This mortal body, which shouldn't exist in this world, was preserved by his life force. Now, with the blessing of various celestial treasures, I, a mere mortal, am granted thirty years of healthy lifespan. This is simply unbelievable to me; how could I possibly dare to hope for immortality?"

Upon hearing these words, Yu Luoning's heart skipped a beat.

The image of the forestry senior I only met once suddenly became clear.

Yu Luoning stared blankly at Lin Ranqiu, her fingers unconsciously stroking the spatial jade bracelet on her wrist beneath her sleeve.

The jade bracelet contains a true elixir capable of defying fate and changing destiny, a divine object incomparable to anything found on the Eastern Treasure Continent. If just one were taken out, it might solve Qin Ranqiu's problem of living thirty years longer.

For a fleeting moment, Yu Luoning felt a struggle.

Is it really necessary to go through all this trouble?

Soon, the hesitation in her eyes disappeared; she couldn't take it.

The lesson was so profound that she was momentarily frightened, fearing it might trigger other chain reactions.

Only when she is truly capable of handling the consequences can she act impulsively and recklessly.

More importantly, Qin Ranqiu made her understand.

What she wanted was never a long and miserable life, but to live the rest of her life to the fullest.

If I were to forcibly keep her here with an elixir, would she really be safe and sound after returning to the mortal realm?

Those who cultivate immortality should follow the will of Heaven and the needs of humanity, and should respect the fate and choices of others.

Forced intervention could lead to a repeat of the tragedy that befell the parents of the clerk.

Thinking of this, Yu Luoning's eyes were filled with respect. She didn't covet the elixir, but stepped forward and smiled frankly at Qin Ranqiu.

"Sister Qin, I understand. Since you have made your decision, then I wish you a safe journey to the mortal world, and may you spend the rest of your life with the mountains and rivers by your side, carefree and at ease."

Qin Ranqiu smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words."

...This is the dividing line for Choi Soo-min's tomorrow...